your money spanish thoroughbred a world apart

Your MoneyA Look At The Euro

Spanish ThoroughbredAndalusian Horses

A World ApartTerra Mítica

Number 10. Autumn 2001. Magazine for members of the Solbank Prestige Club. Price: 500 Ptas.

Mortgage

Solbank

SB

Whatever kind of house

you want, we,ve got

the mortgage for you.

The Bank you can talk to

For further information please contact your nearest branch or call

902 343 999You will receive immediate helpand professional advice.

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Banco Sabadell

Solbank Coordinator and Enquires:Alex Clayton 91 321 7301Edited:Tune In Magazine S.L. C/ Molino, 5.Atico. 28960 Brunete (MADRID).616 08 73 73. Editor: Guy FioritaConsultant:Sue HitchenArt Director:Mouse Diseño Gráfico 91 504 6541Writers:Edward Owen, David Searl,Gaetano Aly, Matthew Arribas,Paul Aitken, Alex Clayton, Guy FioritaPhotographers:Solbank Images, Gaetano Aly,Guy Fiorita, Terra Mítica, Photostock,Jeronimo Alba, Edward Owen,Real Escuela Andaluza del ArteEquestre. Marriott’s Photo LibraryAdvertising enquires:Alex Clayton 606 99 05 82All correspondence concerningSolbank Prestige Club Magazineshould be sent to:Solbank Prestige Club MagazineCalle Alga, 9 atíco07006 Palma de Mallorca. SpainTel: 34 971 24 50 06E-mail:[email protected]:WB Soluciones GraficasTel.: 91 725 2450Print:Gráficas Ruíz PoloDepósito Legal:GU-286/1999

Solbank Prestige Club Magazine ispublished quarterly and is distributedfree to Solbank customers.

The views and opinions expressed inthis magazine are not necessarilythose of Solbank S.A. or SolbankPrestige Club Magazine, nor does theinclusion of any advertisement meanthat the publisher endorses thecompany concerned or its products.No part of this magazine includingtexts, photographs and graphics maybe reproduced in any way without priorwritten consent of Solbank. We welcome comments and viewsabout this or any other issue ofSolbank Prestige Club.

Banco de Sabadell S.A.Solbank is registered Trade Markof Banco de Sabadell S.A.

Autumn 2001

2 Letter from the Chief - ExecutiveD. Marc Monràs, Deputy General Manager, Banco Sabadell, S.A.

3 Solbank News Recent developments and an update from Spain’s leading bank on the coast

6 A World ApartTerra Mítica

12 Will to WinAn Interview with triathlete Spencer Smith

16 Fido Needs a Micro-chipDavid Searl brings you up to date on Spanish pet laws

18 Your MoneySolbank’s expert advice on the coming of the Euro

20 Spanish ThoroughbredsAndalusian Horses

24 Destination Golf: Son AntemChecking out the links in Mallorca’s newest golf complex

29 A Day In The Life Of:Graphic designer: Jürgen Plankenhorn

30 Food and DrinkEdward Owen’s restaurant and wine guide

32 Improve Your GolfTips from the pro on how to use the body pivot

34 Local NewsWhat’s up and what’s on in the Costa Blanca, Costa del Sol, Mallorca, the Costa Brava and in the Canary Islands

40 I’m Glad You AskedDavid Searl answers readers’ letters

16

20

12

24

6 12 16 1818

20 24 2929

Solbank News Solbank News Solbank News Solba

LetterLetter from the Deputy General Manager

Dear Club Member,

As summer draws to a close, it gives me great pleasure to once again be addres-sing you in your autumn issue of Solbank Prestige Club Magazine. An issue thatas you can see is slightly different in lay out from your last issue. The PrestigePartners have been taken out of the magazine and incorporated into a pocket-sizeguide that we hope you will find more useful and convenient. In their place, youwill find a more extensive section on local news which now includes the CanaryIslands and the Costa Brava as well, thus reflecting the increased presence ofSolbank in these areas.

This increased Solbank presence is due to our strategy of expansion. You can seethe tangible results of this in our more extensive branch network: you now have 42Solbank branches at your service. 42 specialised branches with a specific design tooffer you the maximum convenience and comfort. Over the next 12 months we planto open another 30 branches to cover areas where we have had less presence such asthe Balearic and Canary Islands while at the same time consolidating our networkin the Costa del Sol, the Costa Blanca and the Costa Brava. Our aim is to haveabout 80 branches up and running by the end of 2002. As always, all new bran-ches will specialise in looking after the needs and requirements of those people, suchas you, who live part or all of the time in Spain.

Your needs and requirements are important to us and for that reason we areintroducing a “Readers’ Page” in the magazine. You can express your views andcomments, tell fellow readers about things that matter to you or that you would liketo share, recommend places of interest or restaurants; whatever you decide, it’s yourpage and its success depends on you. You can also find in this edition an article onthe Euro which I would particularly recommend because it will answer many of themost frequently asked questions about the new currency which all of us will beusing as of 2002.

Times change and this change brings progress; we at Solbank strive to meet thesechanges with the evolution of the services we offer you, whether it be by expandingour branch network, bringing out new products and services or indeed by makingyour magazine more interactive. Whatever it may be, you can rest assured that noother Spanish bank has a bank totally specialised in looking after the financialrequirements for non-Spanish people in Spain.

Until next time, I wish you all… happy reading!

With my very best wishes,

D. Marc MonràsDeputy General Manager

Banco Sabadell

2 l SolbankPrestigeClub

Branching OutBy the end of 2002 Solbank plans to

open another 30 branches. There is a

clear drive to make sure that Solbank

customers have a branch nearby so that

they can receive the kind of service they

expect. In little over a year Solbank will

be unique within Spain because it will be

the first bank with a name, a business and

communication strategy that caters for

those people who have decided to make

their home on Spain's coasts.

Readers’ PageIt’s up to You!!

Readers eager to have letters printed in

the magazine will be delighted to hear

that next issue we are launching a new

Readers’ Page. Write to us about your

experiences in Spain or any ideas or sug-

gestions that you would like to share with

other readers. Perhaps you have discove-

red a special restaurant and would like to

recommend it, or have come across a

new and better route to a favourite place,

or just want to share an amusing or enter-

taining episode.

Star Letter!!

Every issue the editor will nominate a

star letter and we will send you a Prestige

magazine prize.

We really look forward to hearing from

you and launching the new readers’ page.

Please send your letters to:Readers’ PageSolbank Prestige Club MagazineCalle Molino, 5 28690 Brunete (Madrid)

Managerland.comOn 15 June, Managerland.com was

presented to the press. A joint venture

between Grupo Banco Sabadell and

Grupo Banco Comercial Portugues. It

is divided into 4 operational areas:

online corporate banking, company

finance packages to cover day to day

requirements, the contracting and

buying of products and services at spe-

cial rates and services and applications

that help in the everyday running of

the company.

Banco Sabadell:bank of the year!

The Spanish economic magazine

Ranking brought out a report in June

titled Banco Sabadell, bank of the year.

The article highlights the flotation and

the fact that Sabadell is now the fourth

banking group in Spain.

ws Solbank News Solbank News Solbank News Solbank News Solbank News Solbank News Solbank News Solbank News Solbank News

Reader Survey: thank you!The response to the reader survey we sent you in the last

issue of your Solbank Prestige Club magazine has been

overwhelming. Over 277 answers have already been recei-

ved (as of 19 July) with more than 45% of readers rating the

magazine as excellent. In the next issue we shall publish a

full breakdown of this survey together with a selection of

your comments and opinions. Special thanks are in order to

all of you who answered and you can rest assured that your

comments have been taken on board and will go towards

shaping the way your magazine develops. Thank you!

Branches Opening Soon

Prestige PartnersIn this issue you will find that the Prestige Partners are not in their usual place. We have

taken them out of the magazine

and put them in a pocket size boo-

klet that you can take with you

anywhere. The idea is to make it

easier to use and also more useful.

To that end we have also included

useful telephone numbers and

other pieces of information to

help you. You will be able to get

the guide from any of the Solbank

branches or indeed from the

Prestige Partners from September

onwards.

Andalucia

Torre del Mar AlmuñecarNerjaManilva

Canary Islands

Costa Adeje (Tenerife)Playa Blanca (Lanzarote)Costa Teguise (Lanzarote)Puerto del Carmen (Lanzarote)

Balearic IslandsPortals NousCala RatjadaSóllerPort d'AndratxPort de PollençaCala DórSanta Eularia des Riu (Ibiza)

Costa BlancaCala FinestratPunta Prima

Prestige Partners

4560

VALIDADESDE

HASTAFINAL

®

Forthcoming Open Days

You are all invited to attend the Solbank

Open Days where you can experience

first hand the way we look after our cus-

tomers. The Open Days are a good

opportunity to come in and talk to staff,

look around the branches, ask any ques-

tions you may have and of course to

enjoy yourselves.

OctoberCala d’Or (Mallorca)

OctoberSanta Eularia des Riu (Ibiza)

GROUP NEWS

SolbankPrestigeClub l 3

Your MoneyA Look At The Euro

Spanish ThoroughbredAndalusian Horses

A World ApartTerra Mítica

Number 10. Autmn 2001. Magazine for members of the Solbank Prestige Club. Price: 500 Ptas.

Solbank News Solbank News Solbank News Solbank News Solbank News Solbank News Solbank News Solbank News Solbank


Golf Calender15 September, Pula, Mallorca

20 October, Las Brisas, Málaga17 November, Santa Ponsa, Mallorca24 November, Villamartín, Alicante

1 December, Los Arqueros, Marbella

First Delivery of Euros

At the end of the first semester, the Bank

of Spain sent out 18.000 million euros to

the different banking institutions. Later,

further Euros will be sent out until the

amount reached totals some 70.000

million Euros. Banking institutions have

to deposit the corresponding guarantees

with the Bank of Spain.

Internet, a necessity for

52% of European Users

The use of internet in Europe is everyday

more widespread, to such an extent that

52% of European users consider that

Internet is now a necessity.

Communication, entertainment and

purchases on line are the main uses.

Closer to YouOne visible result of our expansion is that the presence of Solbank has considerably

increased in the Costa Brava and the Canary Islands.

Solbank: Playa del Inglés (Tenerife)

Solbank: Santa Eularia des Riu (Ibiza)

Solbank: Empuriabrava (Costa Brava)

Home Banking Services

Home Banking

Customer Help Line:902 343 999 The Bank you can talk to

Solbank

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Banco Sabadell

Always by your side

Checking yourbalance

Making a transfer

Buying shares

TerraMítica

A MONTH AGO I RECEIVED A PHONE CALL FROM A FRIEND OFFERING

ME WHAT HE CALLED THE “TRIP OF A LIFETIME”. HE SAID IT WAS THE

CHANCE TO VISIT ROME, GREECE, EGYPT AND 2 OTHER STOPS IN THE

MEDITERRANEAN ALL IN JUST TWO DAYS AND BETTER YET, AT A COST

OF UNDER 6.000 PESETAS. WHEN PRESSED, MY FRIEND ADMITTED HE

WAS TALKING ABOUT TERRA MÍTICA, A PLACE WHERE ONE CAN DO

EVERYTHING HE HAD PROMISED WITHOUT NEEDING A PASSPORT OR

EVER GETTING ON AN AIRPLANE.

• B Y G U Y F I O R I T A •


A World Apart

Terra Mítica authorities are quick to

point out that this is not a fun park

but a “Theme” park. This does not

mean to say that visitors do not

enjoy themselves. Fun is, after all, the

main reason why anyone visits any of

these parks no matter how it be defined.

The difference lies in the fact that everyt-

hing in a “theme” park revolves around

one central idea. In Terra Mítica that

theme is ancient Mediterranean civiliza-

tions. The park is divided into 5 distinct

areas: Ancient Rome, Greece, Egypt, The

Iberian Peninsula and the Islands.

Each area is made up of scale models

of many of each of the aforementioned

civilizations most important monuments,

thus in Rome one finds an amazingly real

looking Coliseum, in Egypt, a giant pyra-

mid and so on. According to press officer

Santiago Lumbreras “many people who

come here and have also been to one of

these civilizations have commented that

apart from the size they could not tell the

difference between the park model and

the real thing.”

In fact the park is so well built that the

British Construction Association gave

Terra Mítica second prize in their annual

International Quality in Construction

Award. The park finished ahead of other

impressive works such as the Oresund

Tunnel in Denmark and The Biological

Science Building in Hong Kong. “At

some point in the day”, says Santiago,

“nearly every visitor hits the walls of at

least one of the buildings to see if it is

made of the real thing or not. I am proud

to say that this is all made of stone and

you will not find any support beams hol-

ding up the walls like Hollywood sets. It

all adds to realism of the park and the fee-

ling of authenticity.”

The final result is one of the largest

and most modern theme parks in the

world, covering a total area of over one

million square metres. There are over

thirty rides divided in the parks five main

areas. The centre of the park is a huge

lake which represents the Mediterranean,

Terra Mítica’s central theme. Street pla-

yers, from Roman guards to Greek sol-

diers perform more than 250,000 shows

per year making the streets come alive

and lending the park a real feeling of the

period represented.

Entering the park is like stepping back

in time and once inside you are made

more a participant than a visitor. Nothing

has been left to chance. Even the rubbish

bins are in tone with each section of the

park. All the uniforms worn by the street

players and other actors are authentic

right down to the fabrics and threads

used. The park worked closely with histo-

rian Ricardo Cagigal to assure that not-

hing is out of place.

Finally the time had come to put all

these facts and figures to the test. I don’t

think I had been on a roller coaster since

I was about 15 years old. So as not to date

STREET PLAYERS,FROM ROMAN

GUARDS TOGREEK

SOLDIERS,PERFORM MORE

THAN 250,000SHOWS PER

YEAR...8 l SolbankPrestigeClub

myself, suffice it to say that it was an

awfully long time ago. The main roller

coaster at Terra Mítica, known as Magnus

Colossus is Europe's largest wooden

roller coast. The massive structure looms

above the park daring the adventurous to

take a turn. Fortunately we decided to do

so before having lunch. One ride and I

soon realised that Roller coaster techno-

logy had come a long way since my last

ride. It was also a good reminder of why I

had not dared to get on one for so long.

For a shear adrenaline rush, however,

there is nothing to match the Flight of the

Phoenix. Actually the “drop” of the

Phoenix would be a more appropriate

name, for that is what this ride is all

about, dropping 60 metres straight down

at terminal velocity. Terminal, I can assu-

re you, is the sensation this ride produces.

Words can not describe the feeling, one

just has to experience it. After these two

rides my friends and I decided it was time

to look into the more relaxed, cultural

side of Terra Mítica.

The park, unlike many, is not limited

to just thrilling rides. There are a number

of rides based on popular mythological

tales which are both fun and educational.

After our earlier experience we very

much appreciated and enjoyed these

other rides including: The Mystery of

Keops, The Labyrinth of the Minotauro

and the Surprise of the Gods. One of the

parks newest attractions is a 400 metre,

10 minute ride called The Rescue of

Ulysses which includes film projections

and incredibly realistic holograms.

Being a father, one of the things I liked

most about Terra Mítica is the fact that

every single ride has an exact copy for

kids. This is important when one’s son or

daughter misses the height requirement on

the adult version by a hair. Those without

family will also be happy to know that

nearly all the children's rides are grouped

together in just two areas of the park.

When hunger strikes (as it certainly

will, fear apparently burns an abundance

of calories), Terra Mítica has a great

assortment of restaurants on offer. Each

civilization within the park offers cuisine

from that region and each also offers a

choice of restaurant category from fast

food to formal dining.

As the evening came to a close we wat-

ched in awe as the final act unveiled befo-

re us. Terra Mítica offers a nightly ree-

nactment of the meeting of Mark

Anthony and Cleopatra. It is a very

appropriate and spectacular way to end

what is both a thrilling and educational

visit.

For more information and reservations please call:00 34 965 004 300

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Come in and talkto us or call:902 153 851

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Spencer Smith’s story is remarkable. The youngest ever World and European champion at the

age of 20, he was also the first male triathlete to win consecutive Senior World Championships

(1993 and 1994). I was lucky enough to catch Spencer at his home in Denia, the day before he was

off to Canada to prepare for the World Championships in Edmonton, where he kindly granted

Solbank Prestige Club Magazine the following interview.

So, Spencer, how did you begin your career in sport?

I started swimming when I was about 4-5 months old. At 15 I reached the national junior level

in 400 metre free-style. In the national squad, we had a coach and trained about ten times a week.

It was a hard regime, especially because you had to find time to do your schoolwork and fit in the

training. We often didn't go to bed until eleven at night and were up again at 5:30 in the morning

to swim; we did that 5 times a week. It was tough but I think it made one tough as well; it kept me

focused and instilled the self-discipline and motivation one needs to succeed at an early age.

Although hard, I remember it as a good period in my life, a time I enjoyed especially due to the

good sense of camaraderie among the team members.

THE TRIATHLON IS PERHAPS THE HARDEST OF ALL SPORTS, COMBINING THE DISCIPLI-

NES OF SWIMMING, CYCLING AND RUNNING, IT INVOLVES A 1.5 KM SWIM, FOLLOWED BY

A 40 KM BIKE RIDE FINISHING OFF WITH A 10 KM RUN. ALL THIS WITHOUT STOPPING

AND WITH ONE THING FIXED IN

YOUR MIND: THE DESIRE TO WIN,

TO SWIM FASTER, TO CYCLE QUIC-

KER AND TO RUN HARDER THAN

YOUR COMPETITORS.Win:toill

An Interview with triathlete Spencer Smith

ALEX CLAYTON

What early influences did you have?Because I was involved so heavily in

swimming, I looked up to the swimmersof the time. The best one of course inBritain at the time was Adrian Morehouseand there's no doubt that I looked up tohim a great deal. My father was also agreat influence, perhaps the greatest. Hewas a footballer and had been on thebooks of both QPR and Brentford, so it’sfair to say that sport was expected of me.Later on, his support as both manager andfather was a driving force. I was verylucky. As far as cycling is concerned; Iwould have to mention Miguel Indurain,everyone said that he was too big and tooheavy and that he couldn't climb and yethe won 5 consecutive Tour de France.

How do you move from swimming toTriathlon?

I gave up swimming at the age of 15. Ithink that I just got bored of it. I took ayear and a half off where I actually didn'tdo a great deal of sport, I think I neededa break. At 17 I thought I’d have a go atTriathlon. There was a local race atHillingdon in the UK and I just thoughtI’d try my luck. I found I enjoyed it;swimming for so many years had mademe strong and resilient. I developed apassion for it and was successful veryquickly which always helps with motiva-tion. I joined a local team in Hampton,Middlesex called the "Thames Turbos"who were one of the biggest triathlonclubs in England. I won the title of WorldJunior Champion in 92 and World SeniorChampion in 93 and 94.

What made you come to Denia?My father and I knew a woman who

trained at our club and her father had ahouse here.

We were looking for a base in Europeso we thought we'd check it out. It's agreat place to train and the riding is good.I personally love Denia and I love Spain.The atmosphere is great: you can do a lot,you've got the water and the beach, themixture of old and new which is somet-hing you don't get in the States and ofcourse the weather.

You mention the States, do you spend alot of time there?

I do. I've got a house in California andmy wife is American. I like California; it'son the coast and laid back. They dothings there to the extreme, especially inas far as the service culture is concerned.

Tell us about your training.I normally train between 25 and 30

hours a week with one day off. I try andplan out the season starting off with theshorter races and leaving the longer racesuntil the end of the season in October,where you have to go slower. My seasonends with Ironman in October in Hawaii.After that, I normally take a holiday for amonth: you need a mental and psycholo-gical break from the training. As far asnutrition is concerned, I'm obviously verycareful about what I eat. You have to fuelyour body correctly and to get the propermix of proteins and carbohydrates. Youmustn't forget either that you improvewhen you rest, when you’re not actuallydoing anything; the thing about theTriathlon is that it’s more difficult to restthan when you actually do only one sport.

What about psychological preparation?What goes through your mind whenyou’re racing?

I have confidence in my ability. I knowI'm as strong as anyone out there, mentalstrength is also important. Sometimes itcan be hard to get into the framework ofthe race, a lot of times it can be like cat andmouse. I try and remain very much awareof what's happening around me and thisconditions what’s going through my mind.There are times when you are hurting andyou need to maintain your mentalstrength; I try and keep as calm as possibleso that I can attack when it suits me. Thereare also times when you think you arestronger than you are and vice-versa, so it’svery important to maintain your calm.

What would you say to people who saidthat Triathlon was one of the hardestsports?

Cycling I would say is just as hard asTriathlon. The thing that makes Triathlon souniquely difficult is that all the disciplinesinvolve intense cardiovascular exercise.Ironman which I normally leave for the endof the season involves a 4 km. swim, 180 kmride and a full marathon to finish. It nor-mally takes around 8 hours to complete.

You travel around a lot: how does yourwife cope with your absences?

She is extremely supportive. A goodfamily is vital: it’s impossible to competewithout family. You need someone to talkto, someone whose interested in what youare doing. I had a super relationship withmy father who was both manager anddad, my mother is also very supportive;



you don’t need to see your family all thetime but you need to know they are there.

You took a break from triathlon: why?I needed a break. Whatever I do, I

need to be passionate about it. I went tocycle for the Linda McCartney team forwhich I am thoroughly grateful. It helpedme regain my passion for triathlon.Coming back was difficult at first becausemy upper body became extremely stre-amlined because of the cycling but Icame back quickly.

What about the future?In this game, you’re always thinking

about the next race or competition. Rightnow I'm off to the World Championships.I'm 27 and that is still young. I did my firstTriathlon years ago and you can competein Ironman up to at least 35 years old. Asyou get older, you get wiser, you havemore experience so if you’re into it, youcan still win!

Thanks to Spencer Smith and wishing him the very best of luck in the World Championships. Thanks also to Spencer's sponsors:Metrex Nutrition, Sigma Sport and Zipwheels.

To answer your two first questions, yes, your dog resi-dent in Spain needs to have a microchip implanted,and, yes, you can now take your dog or cat back tothe UK with you, as long as he is vaccinated and cer-tified by a Spanish vet well in advance of the jour-ney. Since February of 2000, all dogs in Spain are

required by law to have microchips. Very few of them do, inspite of efforts by the authorities to encourage this chipping.In most towns, officials declared a voluntary period duringwhich veterinarians were subsidised to implant the chips at alow price, usually around 5,000 pesetas.

A hand-held bar-code reader, just like the supermarketcheckout, can be passed over the chip, which then shows onthe computer screen the name and address of the dog's owner,along with the details of the vet who implanted the chip.

Thus, any lost dog can be returned to its owner. This chipalso allows the authorities to create a municipal pet censusfrom the vets' data base, which has created a negative effect inmany municipalities.

Fears that towns would start charging a fee for dog licencesapparently caused a sudden increase in abandoned animals.“We had 254 dogs left with us in the month after the law wentinto effect, a record number,” said Xandra Gamazo, presidentof Marbella's Triple A, the “Asociacion de Amigos de losAnimales”.

Different municipalities around Spain impose fines of var-ying amounts on the owners of dogs without chips, but enfor-cement has been extremely lax. The fines, usually between10,000 and 15,000 pesetas, are only applied when the dog hasbeen involved in some offence, such as attacking a person.

In rural areas, where hunters may have a pack of 20 dogs,the microchip law has been largely ignored.

FidoNeeds aMicrochip

SPAIN IS CATCHING UP WITH MODERN ANIMAL LAWS BUT REAL-LIFE

PRACTICE OFTEN LAGS BEHIND

BY

DAVID SEARL



New Rules For Those Taking PetsInto Britain

If you are among those fortunate fewwho make regular trips to your holidayproperty in Spain, you can now take yourdog or cat with you to enjoy theMediterranean sun, and take them backinto the UK. Further, if you have acqui-red a pet in Spain, you may also take theanimal into the UK.

Be warned that you had better startthinking about this operation more thansix months in advance, however.

If you are inside Spain, and want totake your pet back to the UK, follow thesame steps with authorised Spanish vets,vaccines and blood tests. The Spanish vetobtains from the Spanish Ministry ofAgriculture the same certificate as theBritish one.

One family who travelled by car tooktwo weeks of leisurely sight-seeingthrough France from Spain, so they hadto have the tick-treatment done twice,once in order to obtain the entry certifi-cate, and again, in France, the day beforethey took the ferry, in order to meet the24-hour rule. Pets can enter the UK byferry or tunnel if you are driving. BritishAirways will take pets from Barcelona tothe UK, but ask them first to be sure.

Double-check this information beforeplanning any trips, as changes could stillbe made.

Contact UK authorities on the Internetat: www.maff.gov.uk/animalh/quarantineor telephone the Helpline on 0870-241-1710 or ask your vet to check for you.

Owners of Dangerous Dogs MustCarry Insurance

Spain's national law regarding the kee-ping of “dangerous” dogs, which wentinto effect at the end of 1999, requires

their owners to carry a liability insurancepolicy covering at least 20 million pesetasin claims. The law was hurriedly passedafter a strong public reaction to a series ofdog attacks. In one such attack, anArgentinean Mastiff killed a four-year-oldboy in Palma de Mallorca. The dog'sowner was sentenced to one year in gaolfor reckless homicide, and his insurancecompany paid an indemnity of 20 millionpesetas.

The law does not specify exactly whatbreeds constitute potentially dangerousdogs, but it classifies them as animals

which by their size alone or by their bre-eding as guard dogs or attack dogs can bedangerous to humans or other animals.

If you have a Rottweiler or aDoberman, you can be sure that your petqualifies. Animal ownership is also regu-lated by laws in Spain's individual auto-nomous regions, with the Catalan statutesbeing regarded as models. Most townshave their municipal ordinances as well.

In the Community of Madrid, forexample, any dog weighing more than 25kilos must be registered as potentiallydangerous and insured.

The national law, and most local laws,require that these dogs have a microchip ortattoo, that they are registered with themunicipal registry, and that they are insu-red. The law requires that such dogs bemuzzled and on leads of less than twometres when walking in public places. Toabandon a potentially dangerous dog canbring a fine of 400,000 pesetas. So far, thereis no record of any such fine being imposed.

Authorities estimate that more than70,000 dogs are abandoned every year inSpain. To train a dog for dog-fights canbring fines up to 2.5 million pesetas, andsome “professional” dog-fight trainershave indeed been fined.

Both local and regional laws regulateother aspects of owning animals. The

laws specify that it is an offence to abuseanimals, to keep them in small spaces,such as apartment terraces, that an owneris responsible for any damage caused byhis pet, and usually that a dog may notsoil the public way.

Generally, around Spain, public cons-ciousness falls far short of pooper-scoopersseen in northern European cities, but thetown of Benalmadena on the Costa del Solhas fined a number of owners 15,000 pese-tas when police observed repeated offen-ces, much to their surprise and dismay, sochanges are slowly coming.

Meanwhile, many of us have been con-fronted with the barking dog problem.Call a cop, is the only advice we can give.In a town, if the police receive three orfour phone calls about a barking dog, theywill go to the house or apartment. Thosewho live in country areas, where ownersleave a dog to guard their farm while theyreturn home to the village, have more dif-ficulties. Often they do not know who theowner is or where he lives.

One Spanish friend of mine faced withthis problem obtained the telephonenumber of the barking dog's owner. Hecalled him at three o'clock in the morning,held the telephone out of the window, andlet the man listen to his own dog.

After that, the dog spent his nights intown with his owner.

If you are in the UK, follow these steps:1. Have microchip implanted, and pet vaccinated for rabies. Details go on animal's

veterinary record.

2. After one month, vet takes blood sample for laboratory to check if vaccine has taken.

3. If vaccine is effective, vet can issue document called Pet Travel Scheme Re-Entry

Certificate. Valid for term of rabies vaccination.

4. Six months after blood test, pet can enter the UK from Spain and other

countries on approved list.

5. It's not over yet. Pet must be treated for ticks and parasites by qualified vet

between 24 and 48 hours before entry into the UK. Vet gives certificate.

6. Owner must sign declaration that the animal has not been inside any of the

non-approved countries in the preceding six months.

IN THE COMMUNITY OFMADRID, FOR EXAMPLE,ANY DOG WEIGHINGMORE THAN 25 KILOSMUST BE REGISTEREDAS POTENTIALLYDANGEROUS ANDINSURED.


Jaume Quintanilla GuinotGabinete de Comunicación

The twelve currencies that con-

verted into the Euro were the

German mark, the French

franc, the Belgian franc, the

Italian lira, the Dutch guilder,

the Portuguese escudo, the

Irish pound, the franc of Luxembourg,

the Austrian schilling, the Finnish mark

and the peseta. And one year later the

Greek drachma joined them as well.

After over two years of coexistence

between the single (and intangible)

currency and its “national expressions”,

we are fast approaching the time when the

coins and bank notes of these twelve

countries will be substituted once and for

all for their equivalent in Euro. Thus, on 1

January 2002 the massive distribution of

Euros will begin, and at the same time,

and during a two-month period, all pese-

tas will be withdrawn from circulation.

Just to provide a glimpse of how complex

the situation will be, it may be pointed out

that 14,000 million bank notes and 50,000

million coins will have been manufactu-

red, and (only in Spain) 32,000 tons of

peseta coins and notes will be withdrawn.

From 15 December on it will be possi-

ble to obtain in the Spanish financial insti-

tutions a set of 43 coins, called “purse” or

starter kit, which will contain the equiva-

lent to 2,000 pesetas and will be useful for

us to become familiar with the Euro. In this

way, consumers will have fractional

currency to make purchases more conve-

niently from 1 January on. On the other

hand, most cash tellers will provide bank

notes in Euro from the first day on the year

2002.

Peseta and Euro will coexist in our

pockets for two months, up until 28

February 2002. From that date on, and until

30 June, it will be possible to exchange pese-

tas in any financial institution. After that, the

old currency may only be exchanged in the

Banco de España (Spanish Central Bank).

ON 1 JANUARY 1999, THE EURO TURNED INTO THE SINGLE CURRENCY UNIT FOR

THE TWELVE COUNTRIES THAT AT PRESENT COMPRISE THE ECONOMIC AND MONETARY

UNION. THE IRREVOCABLE EXCHANGE RATES WERE THEN ESTABLISHED AND

NATIONAL CURRENCIES BECAME

MERE FRACTIONS OF THE EURO.TheEuro


Bank Accounts and other Products

Due to the agreement between the

different Public administrations and the

banking industry, all bank accounts and

associated services that are named using

the twelve currencies will be renamed in

Euro during the last quarter of 2001. The

Banco de Sabadell Group will start this

“fully automated” process during the

month of October. Of course, the

accounts that use currencies that do not

belong to the Economic and Monetary

Union (e.g.: accounts in pound sterling or

US dollars) will be left unchanged.

Regarding taxation, the residents and

non-residents’ accounts in pesetas will

become residents and non-residents’

accounts in Euro, respectively. All other

products (pension schemes, share dea-

ling, mortgages, loans, credit cards, insu-

rance policies…) will also be changed

into Euro. If we stick to the sheer fact that

the twelve currencies of the EMU are

already nothing but mere expressions of

the Euro, it can be assumed that the chan-

ge will not have any repercussions on the

conditions and prices of said products.

Logically then, no change in interest rates

or increase in cost or commissions is to be

expected as a consequence of the single

currency.

Also, the different Public Administrations

will establish control mechanisms so that

the use of the Euro will not be used as an

excuse to increase prices due to roun-

ding-up policies. In fact, the characteris-

tics inherent to our markets (the law of

supply and demand, together with the

high competitiveness existing among

companies) will be an efficient tool to

fight such temptation.

Advantages of the Euro

The Euro is an old dream come true,

that of a united Europe, that started to take

shape after World War II, and was ultima-

tely conceived at the Paris (1951) and

Rome (1958) Treaties.

The Euro reinforces the role of the

Economic and Monetary Union as an

economic space with one single currency

where there is a free circulation of goods,

services, capital, and people. An area

with only one monetary policy, ruled by

the European Central Bank, that guaran-

tees sustainable growth thanks to a pent-

up inflation and, as a consequence, the

elevation of living standards and social

and economical cohesion.

To conclude, the most obvious advanta-

ges for the consumers may be summed up

as: the reduction of costs due to currency

exchanges; price homogenization and

transparency in the area; a theoretical

decrease of interest rates that will make

loans cheaper; the maintenance of purcha-

sing power (derived form the reduction of

inflation); and more stability, due to a

more sustainable economic growth.

2O l SolbankPrestigeClub

Horses:AFTER SHERRY AND FLAMENCO THERE IS NOTHING MORE REPRESENTATIVE OF

THE CITY OF JEREZ THAN THE HORSE. TALK TO ANYONE IN TOWN AND THEY

ARE BOUND TO KNOW SOMETHING ABOUT HORSES. THIS IS, AFTER ALL, THE

CRADLE OF THE PURE BREED SPANISH HORSE. SPAIN’S MOST IMPORTANT

HORSE FAIR IS HELD HERE AND IT IS ALSO THE HOME OF THE ROYAL

ANDALUSIAN SCHOOL OF EQUESTRIAN ART. IN ADDITION BOTH THE HORSE

BREEDING DEPARTMENT OF THE DEFENCE MINISTRY AND THE NATIONAL

HORSE BREEDING ASSOCIATION ARE BASED HERE.

Andalusian

The Spanish ThoroughbredB Y G U Y F I O R I T A

The roots of the Pure Spanishbreed have been traced back tothe 15th century. Credit for thelineage is attributed to a group ofmonks at a Carthusian monas-

tery three miles from Jerez. This is whythe pure breed Spanish horse is alsoknown as the Cartujano or Jerezanohorse. It is a horse the great French hor-seman La Guernière said is “the mostworthy of being ridden by kings on daysof triumph”.

Although public haute école (highschool) dressage shows were held in Jerezas far back as the 1700’s, it was not until1973 that the Royal Andalusian School ofEquestrian Art was founded. Today, thecentre is one of the most popular touristattractions in Spain bringing in millionsof visitors every year.

The centre, which sits in the heart of thecity, is built around the Recreo de lasCadenas Palace, a stunning nineteenth cen-tury Baroque style building designed by theFrench architect Garnier, the same manwho designed the Paris Opera House. TheRoyal School offers guided visits (Mon.,Wed., Fri., 11:00 -13:00) of the grounds anda chance to watch the horses being trained.However, it is the show, How Andalusian

Horses Dance (Thursdays 12:00) that drawsthe most visitors.

The day I attended, the 1,600 seatarena was completely full. The showbegan with a burst of music as laser lightsdanced across the groomed dirt floor.After a slight pause, the soft strains of aflamenco guitar filled the air, the doors atthe far end of the arena were thrown openand 10 riders dressed in 18th centurycountry costume made their entrance.

Thus begins the equestrian ballet. Thesix choreographed dances which follo-

wed are based on classical and countrydressage as well as other traditionalriding specialties. The first piece was ademonstration of cowboy riding with thehorses walking or galloping around thearena making sudden changes of rhythm,leaping high in the air and performingamazingly tight spins.

As the riders filed out, a very youngwoman on a magnificent silver stalliontook their place. Her performance madeit clear why this is called an equestrianballet. The classical movements of the


horse as it pranced about from side toside and its high stepping trot really doresemble ballet moves. By the end of theperformance both horse and rider lookedworn out.

This was followed by a beautiful exhi-bition of 8 unmounted horses with theriders leading the them on foot using along rein. The most spectacular part oftheir dance was the high leaping, whichhad the crowd shouting in joy. The Piaffe,however, where the animal trots in placeso that the horse almost appears to be flo-ating had most of the audience staring inwide mouthed wonder. It was a fascina-ting display of grace and powerful beauty.

The most exciting part of the showhowever, was yet to come. Accompaniedby a burst of flamenco music, two antiquecarriages raced in through the open doors.After a few elegant spins around the arena,the carriages suddenly began to pick upspeed until they were skidding aroundeach turn throwing up dirt as they went. Inoticed many in the crowd covering theireyes at what seemed an inevitable crash.

The carriages have one man riding onthe back in bobsled fashion, his job is tocounterbalance the carriage as it swingsaround the corner with two wheels flyinghigh off the ground. Judging by the roarof the crowd this was evidently a greatpleaser. At times it resembled an air showas the horses dashed around each other atbreathtaking speed.

If you are in Jerez in May you won’twant to miss the horse fair. The fair whichtakes place in the city’s central fairground, includes a number of equestrian

events and races. The main attraction,however, is the daily horse parade. From13.00 to 19:00 each afternoon, hundredsof horses and riders dressed in antiquecostume ride up and down the promena-des of the grounds in colourful display.

In 2002 Jerez will be the site of thefourth World Equestrian Games (WEG),earlier editions were held in Stockholm,the Hague and Rome. The event, whichtakes place every four years, is conside-red the Olympics of the equestrian world.The games include competitions in thesix official equestrian disciplines of showjumping, dressage, carriage driving,three-day event, vaulting and endurance.More than 1,000 horses representing 50countries will be competing and televi-sion viewers are expected to reach onebillion. The games are due recognition ofthe importance of the city of Jerez in theequestrian world.


THE CLASSICALMOVEMENTS OF THEHORSE AS ITPRANCED ABOUTFROM SIDE TO SIDEAND ITS HIGHSTEPPING TROTREALLY DORESEMBLE BALLETMOVES.


In 1964 Prince Rainier of Monaco came to Mallorca to play a round of golf. There

seems to be nothing very special about this statement except that he came to inau-

gurate the only golf course on the island, making him Mallorca’s very first golf tou-

rist. After his round, Son Vida Golf Club was officially opened to the public as the

only 18 hole golf course on Mallorca.

It is hard to imagine that this was just 37 years ago, considering that there are now 18

courses on the island. Interest in the game has been growing at an amazing rate. In the

last three years, four new courses have been opened and there are plans for at least two

more. More and more golfers are coming to play under the warm Mallorcan sun, 20%

more per year, every year since 1995.

I am happy to report that I too can now be counted among this years golf tourists in

the Mallorcan tourist boards statistics. I had been trying to work in a golf trip to

Mallorca for years but something always seemed to go wrong at the last minute. This

time it was my wife who insisted on making the trip. I think she may have known what

was to come of this particular outing. This may be the one and only time that a

Destination Golf trip turned into something more than what she calls “just a lot of golf”.

For our stay in Mallorca we chose the Marriott’s Son Antem Holiday Resort. The

resort is situated just 19 kilometres from the capital city of Palma. The complex consists

of a 150 room Marriott hotel, 232 holiday ownership townhouses, two 18 hole cham-

pionship quality golf courses and a huge, newly opened, European style spa. There is

also a clubhouse, pro shop and a good practice range with pitching and putting greens.

FOR THE GOLFER THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEND A FEW DAYS PLAYING ONE

OF THE NEWEST GOLF COURSES IN MALLORCA IS A DREAM COME TRUE.

IN REALITY, A CHANCE TO VISIT THIS BEAUTIFUL MEDITERRANEAN

ISLAND NEEDS NO EXCUSES, NOT EVEN GOLF.

Mallorca’sClub Son Antem

Destination Golf

• B Y G A E T A N O A L Y •

Also on offer are huge outdoor

swimming pools, two fine restau-

rants and a very friendly lounge

bar in the hotel. Every aspect of

the complex offers all of the quality and

impeccable service one expects of the

Marriott group.

Although there are two great courses to

choose from at Son Antem, I ended up

spending a lot less time on either them

than I had originally intended. The ama-

zing thing is that I do not write this by way

of complaint. There is so much on offer at

both Son Antem and on the Island of

Mallorca that the game of golf became

secondary. If you can come up with

something that keeps me off the course,

more power to you.

Staying off the golf course is an old

problem for me. I find it difficult to justify

leaving my wife alone while I spend 4

hours hitting a little white ball around a

field. I usually end up feeling guilty before,

during and after the round. My solution is

to find something fun and interesting for

my her to do while I am playing.


This is where Mallorca stands out. It

is, as my playing buddy calls it, one of the

world’s great “golf widow” destinations.

Nearby to any course one finds fantastic

beaches, great shopping, fine cuisine and

interesting cultural visits such as Palma’s

Cathedral or the Mirò Foundation.

Even without leaving the complex we

both found plenty to do off the course.

Apart from the above mentioned services,

Son Antem has recently opened a 7.000 m2

Spa with thermal waters piped in from

Lluchmajor. Here the none player can

enjoy thermal pools, a gym, sunbathing

areas, a beauty salon, vitamin baths, aroma

therapy, a massage, saunas and a restaurant

overlooking the golf course. In the summer

they even run an hourly shuttle bus to Es

Trenc beach. This is where most of my golf

playing time was spent. Although my game

may have suffered badly from the lack of

practice, personally I have never felt bet-

ter. The water treatments and other thera-

pies may not improve your slice but they

make you feel so good that you just won’t

care about it anymore.



When I did break away for a round, I

found the courses to be both very cha-

llenging and beautifully manicured. The

older east course, opened in 1984 is a

6,325 metre, par 72 which runs through

woodlands dotted with manmade lakes.

The course is flat and wide open with

very challenging ruffs.

The newly opened west course, also

designed by Francisco Lopez Segales, is

longer than the east course, 6450 metres

- par 72. This course also runs through

woodlands but it is noticeably more hilly.

It also proved to be a more difficult cour-

se to play, the 70 bunkers making it espe-

cially difficult though they are fairly pla-

ced. The newest course on the island is

already counted among the best in

Mallorca. It is just a shame I could not

break myself away from the other activi-

ties to enjoy it more thoroughly.

For more information on Marriott’s Son Antemplease contact:

Michiel van Gorp 00 34 971 12 9 140


There are undoubtedly an infinitenumber of reasons for wanting tolive in Mallorca. Every year thou-sands of new residents set up home

on the Isle of Calm. Most cite the island’snear perfect weather and natural beautyas key factors in to their decision to livehere. Being bored in Stuttgart is rarely ifever mentioned. That was true until I met46 year old Jürgen Plankenhorn.

Asked why he chose Mallorca, Jürgenresponds, “I was really very bored andwas looking for a major change of life. Ihad been on the island before and wasimpressed by the infrastructure and thefact that it was so easy to move back andforth to Germany. And of course I lovedthe laid back way of life.”

Up to this point Jürgen was the ownerof a very successful advertising and graphicdesign agency. He was personally responsi-ble for the concept behind Autofocus Magazine, one of the mostimportant publications of its kind in Germany. He had also beeninvolved in the launching of EasyRider Magazine and a numberof other publications and important advertising campaigns.

However, as we have said, boredom set in and the decision wasmade to move. Jürgen sold the advertising company and almosteverything else he owned and bought an apartment in Mallorca.“I cashed it all in on a ticket to paradise”, he says with a smile.

“I began to find the German way of life to be a bit too rigid forme. Here things are a little more relaxed and one can take sometime to enjoy life.” This, however, does not mean that thingshave been easy for Jürgen. Upon arriving in Mallorca, he imme-diately opened his own advertising and design agency in the cen-tre of Palma. At the same time he went about setting up houseand learning the language as well.

“Starting a new agency from zero in a new country was noteasy. And although the Mañana stereotype rings true to a certainextent”, he says, “like anywhere else, if you don’t get the jobdone you will eventually lose the client and in the end, your busi-ness.” Jürgen has worked very hard not only to keep the clientshe has happy but also to make sure that new ones come throughhis office door on a regular basis.

At one point the business was actually growing too fast. “Wehad to start saying no to some potential clients. It is a mistake to

try to grow too fast, you end up making tomany mistakes and the results of all yourwork suffers”, he says. All this in the littleover one year that Jürgen has been inMallorca.

When not sitting in front of a computerscreen in his renovated loft office, Jürgencan often be found taking his time toenjoy a drink in one of the many sidewalkcafés sprinkled around the city of Palma.“People are able to spend so much moretime outdoors here. It is one of the thingsI like most about living here, it feels sohealthy”, he says.

Although one of his great passions golfis also an outdoor activity and can beenjoyed year round in Mallorca, Jürgenunfortunately finds little time for the links.A one time he was a seven handicap gol-fer, but now Jürgen admits that the num-ber has gone up considerably due to, of all

things, lack of play. “It is funny, but I rarely get out to play around these days. I guess it is ironic really, I finally live in a placethat has a lot of really good golf courses and the weather is nevera factor and now I hardly play at all”.

Apart from having time to play a round of golf now and then,is there anything else he misses from the life he left behind inGermany? “Nothing”, he answered with a shake of his head,“and besides anything I may miss from home is never more thantwo hours away. If I ever miss anything badly enough I canalways hop on a plane and have whatever it is I am craving.”

Looking at his watch Jürgen suddenly cuts our interviewshort. “Sorry but I have a flight to catch”, he says calmly. As itturned out he was booked on a flight to Zurich leaving in lessthan an hour. Seeing my concern that he would miss the plane,Jürgen turns to me as he headed toward the office door, “haveI mentioned the infrastructure in Mallorca?”, he asked with agrin. “The airport, for example, is perfect. It is very well laidout, convenient and efficient and since there is never a pro-blem with traffic, I can be inside the terminal in about tenminutes. There are also so many direct flights to Germany thatI can go from my office here in the centre of Palma to down-town Stuttgart or any other major German city in a little overtwo hours.” “Not to mention Zurich”, I add as he disappearsdown the hall.

DE S IG N I NG

A N EW LI F E

I N MALLORCA

G r a p h i c D e s i g n e r

JürgenPlankenhorn• B Y M A T T H E W A R R I B A S •

A D AY I N T H E L I F E O F :

&

Restaurante El Molino del CondeCtra. Algeciras - Jimena Km. 82,511350 Castellar de la Frontera. CádizTel: 956 236 063 Closed: 15-30 June, 15-30 Sept., Sun.nights and Mons. all day. In August, onlyopen at night. Jazz on Fri. nights.

Drivers can either turn inland

south of Manilva on the Costa

highway, in the direction of

Castellar de la Frontera, or head

north on the road from San Roque to

Jimena de la Frontera. At Castellar,

eagles soar above the formidable ram-

parts of the medieval castle. Small houses

cling to its walls and there are panoramic

views of the distant Rock of Gibraltar, the

Atlas Mountains and the Pantano de

Guadarranque below the village. When

the dam was built in the fertile valley,

Franco created another village further

down the road for the displaced locals.

This is La Almoraima where a cork pro-

cessing plant is the main industry.

A lovely retreat is the Casa Convento

La Almoraima (Tel: 956 693 214), an inti-

mate hotel in a 1603 convent which was

converted into a hunting lodge by the

Dukes of Medinacelli. One can eat or

drink in the cool cloister patio, take a dip

in the pool, play tennis, stroll under the

palms in the gardens or go walking or

riding in the country.

In keeping with this rustic atmosphere,

the place to enjoy a meal is the nearby El

Molino del Conde. Juan José Borreero

makes the maximum use of the great cha-

racter of this ancient flour mil to create dif-

ferent dining areas. There is a shady patio

BY

EDWARD OWEN

with a Russian vine and bougainvillea, a

smart dining room, a bar for parties around

the mill machinery and barn-like place to

enjoy the Friday night New Orleans jazz

band. Ascen Lozano is the excellent cook

and her daughter, Ascen Rojas, a culinary

artist, presents the sweets with flair.

I ate at a cork-topped table in the airy

patio this spring directly beneath a swa-

llow’s nest on the overhead beam. The

parents, collecting titbits to feed their

vociferous young from outside and not

from our tables, were oblivious to us.

Strategically hung cork bark prevented

the birds from dropping in on the diners.

The good value menu has a good

selection including meats from the char-

coal barbecue grill in the garden. Juan

José suggested a Legano 96 Crianza, a

Ribera tinto with the Tempranillo lighte-

ned by Cabernet Sauvignon. This went

well with a creamy, tangy, roasted

Balanchares goat’s cheese from Córdoba

served with mini toasts.

This was followed by Fillet of Iberian

Pork (Presas de paletillas de cerdo

Ibérico) barbecued with rosemary and

thyme and served with chunky chipped

potatoes and grilled tomato. This deli-

cious meat is exceptional; coming from

the same beast whose hind legs become

the best cured Iberian hams. A real dis-

covery! For dessert were freshly made

apple fritters dressed with honey and

sesame seeds and served with cream.

Restaurante El Molino del Conde

THE AREA AROUND LOS ALCORNOCALES PARK, WHERE GROVES OF CORK

OAK COVER ROLLING HILLS IN THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF CÁDIZ PRO-

VINCE, OFFERS A DELIGHTFUL RURAL ESCAPE FROM THE NEARBY COSTA

DEL SOL, SOTOGRANDE AND GIBRALTAR.


FOOD

Oro De Castilla Rueda Superior 2000100% Verdejo, 12.6%

Located about 170 kms north-west of Madrid, the Rueda area isfamous for its fine white wines -so much so that in 1972 the vene-rable Marqués de Riscal Bodegaof Rioja fame decided to produceits white wines in this region. The traditional grapes here areVerdejo, Palomino and Viura andnew varieties include SauvignonBlanc. But it is wines made from100% Verdejo and labelled RuedaSuperior which are the mostemblematic. The Verdejo has tobe hardy to survive here andgrows vigorously. Winters can be harsh in this partof Castilla-Léon with frequentfrost. Spring and autumn are wet.In summer the climate is very drywith lots of wind. The River Dueroborders the northern part of theRueda region and an interestingbase for exploring Rueda is the medieval city ofTordesillas. Bodegas Hermanos del Villar has been producing for thepast six years and its Oro de Castilla Rueda Superior 2000is particularly acclaimed by experts having won severalinternational gold awards. The bodegas themselves datefrom the 17th C. and include 950m. of tunnels, 25m.below ground. But the investment in modern equipment tomaximise the aroma and taste of the freshly picked grapeis also impressive. Obviously this wine needs to be served well chilled. Onopening one is immediately impressed by the intense,fresh aroma of tropical fruits and greenery. The colour isof a pale gold. In the mouth it has a deliciously delicate fla-vour with no sign of acidity. It lingers well leaving a dryishtaste that is mellowed by its fruitiness. This is a strongish wine that is perfect to accompany fish,like a grilled sole, or light salads. King Juan Carlos likes itthis wine is supplied to the Royal Household.

Oro De Castilla Rueda Superior 2000Bodega Hnos. del Villar Zarcillo s/n. 47490 Rueda. Valladolid Tel: 983 868 904100% Verdejo, 12.6% 950 pesetas

DRINK


This menu is ideal as part of a summer barbecue because it’s easy toprepare – as long as you shop for the right ingredients which you may wellneed to order in advance.

Roasted Balanchares Goats Cheese 4 cheeses (about 200 gr each) for 4 persons

Place a round cheese, sprinkled with thyme and rosemary, in individual eart-henware casseroles in an oven heated to 180ºC. When the cheese starts tobrown, serve with dried toast.

Fillets of Ibérican Pork with Rosemaryand ThymeIngredients for 4 persons 1.6 kg of Iberian Pork Fillets from the Shoulder Thyme, rosemary and olive oil.

You need a good Spanish butcher to order this cut (about 1.6 kilos) from theshoulder of the Iberian pig (cerdo ibérico) fed on acorns and is not normalpork. One trims off the outside fat from around the meat, slice into steaks,baste lightly with oil, thyme and rosemary and then barbecue. It’s best to searto keep the meat succulent and juicy.

Serve with baked or chipped potatoes and a half a large tomato, grilled andsprinkled with herb

Apple Fritters with Honey and Sesame Ingredients for 4 persons 4 apples, 40 gr of icing sugar, Pinch of salt, 2 eggs, white separated fromyokes, 150 ml milk, 1 teaspoon of olive oil, 125 gr plain flour, 2 teaspoonsbrandy (optional) or water, Olive Oil for deep drying, Honey and sesameseeds, A few mint leaves and peppermint liqueur (optional).

Peel, de-core and slice apples into quarters and cover with icing sugar. In a largemixing bowl, mix the flour with a little salt, add the beaten egg yolks, milk and oil.Brandy or water can be added. Leave the batter in a warm place for an hour orso. Then beat the egg whites until stiff and add to the batter. Heat the olive oil ina deep fryer, Cover the apple slices with the batter and fry until golden. On a ser-ving plate, sprinkle with honey and the sesame seeds. Serve with fresh cream,perhaps with freshly chopped mint and a dash of peppermint liqueur.


3

P A U L A I T K E N

BodyPivotThe Driving Force to Your Swing

Improveyourgame

Agood swing is a successful blend of body motion and hand, wrist and arm action. It is difficult to say whichone is most important but suffice it to say that one is not much use without the other. A good body actiondoes however tend to lead to better consistency. The good news is that good body motion can be learned. Ithink that is fair to say that most of the pupils I see do not have a good pivot motion. A lot of the faults I seecome from the fact the people want to do everything with their arms - lift the club up with their arms, then

bring the club down through and up again with their arms. This invariably leads to the frustrating scenario of somegood shots and some bad shots, and subsequently a few good days and a lot of bad ones.

21

Understanding how the body works,and therefore how to position the cluband the arms within that pivot will ulti-mately lead to the consistency most peo-ple cover.

Photos 1 and 2 show a typical bodymotion fault - the reverse pivot. FirstlyPhoto 1 illustrates a straight right leg, leftknee shooting out and the body weighthanging over the left leg. Photo 2 showsthe consequence of such a backswing -the finish position with all the weight nowcentred on the right leg. This type ofmovement will obviously diminish thepower of the shot.

Try this simple drill, not just as a warmup on the first tee but at home and on thedriving range to really understand andthen groove your body action. Grip aclub behind your shoulders as in Photo 3.Take your correct posture. Photo 5 showsthe posture from the front. Note how theleft shoulder is slightly higher than the

right as you would with a golf club inyour hands.

Photo 6 illustrates the all importantfirst move. At the start of your swing letthe left shoulder swing down slightly andyour right shoulders swing up whilstsimultaneously allowing your chest torotate over towards your right leg.Remember this is not a tilt, the shouldersshould turn at 90º to the spine. From herenow finish your backswing movement byrotating the back to the target and win-ding the left shoulder under your chin.Points to note: The weight is predomi-nantly on the inside of the right leg, theright knee remains flexed and the chest isabove the right thigh. Allow your head torotate slightly to the right to permit yourbody to wind up behind the ball.

Photo 8 shows the very dynamic chan-ge of direction or transition. Start downby moving your left shoulder and kneetowards the target almost like a small

step. Do not jump of your right leg tooquickly. Feel stability in your legs, notehow my knees have separated slightly.This provides the solid base from whichyou can really release your right sidethrough to the finish.

Note the straight, balanced finish. Theknees are together and the right shoulderis closer to the target than the left.

I apologise if there is a lot of detail inthis article but this is not a five minute tip.Obviously you do not have to thinkabout this and hit the ball at the sametime. First do this without a ball, study thepictures, and then make a few swings.Repeat this until you feel a good smoothfluid action. Now you are ready to try hit-ting a few balls. Good luck.

For more information on David LeadbetterGolf Academy in La Cala please feelfree to call: 952 66 90 37

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Alert on Mijas waste plantThe environmental group, Ecologistas en Acción Mijas (EAM), has issued official complaintsagainst the waste disposal plant in Mijas to various environmental bodies.

No more wasteThe group has again voiced its concern that the Mijas waste dis-posal plant might be integrated into the network operated by theAssociation of Town Halls of the Western Costa del Sol. If thatoccurred the plant might be asked to treat waste from Fuengirolaand Benalmádena, as it did during the recent strike at theCasares plant. The ecologists believe the Mijas plant simply isn'tup to the task.

Set in the southern foothills ofthe Sierra Almijara, six kilo-metres inland from Nerja, thevillage of Frigiliana is renow-ned for its narrow, cobbledstreets, whitewashed houses,and flower-laden patios andbalconies. It's on every tou-rist's itinerary and has all thecharm of a 16th centuryMoorish settlement. However, over the last fewyears, it has seen develop-ment unprecedented in itshistory, and is now facing anidentity crisis as new housingovershadows the old town,both literally and metaphori-cally. Claims of irreparabledamage to Frigiliana'sambience have now beenmade by local residents,along with pleas for a halt onfurther building. Particular problems havebeen caused by the develop-ment at Los Bancales, accor-ding to the President of theResidents' Association, AnaOrtiz Cortés, who alleges thatit has been built to greaterdimensions than those forwhich it was licensed. Anextra storey has been added,she claims, which oversha-dows the old town. Sra Ortizis calling for developers toconstruct smaller buildingswhich fit in with the town'sappearance and meet legalrequirements. The town's Mayor, JavierLópez Ruiz, has respondedby saying the Town Hall was"not asleep" and would takecourt action against develo-pers who do not observe theterms of their constructionlicences.

New Sevillanaoffices alongthe coastIf you live in Fuengirola,Mijas Costa or the Esteponaarea then there are three newoffices where you can makepersonal contact with emplo-yees of the electricity supplycompany Sevillana. They willhandle enquiries about con-tracting to their services,accounts queries and evenarrange for you to be recon-nected should your supply becut off. The Fuengirola office is in theAvenida de Mijas and theMijas Costa office is to befound in La Cala. They areopen to the public between 9and 13.00 and from 16.00 to19.00 Monday to Friday.Residents of Estepona,Manilva and Casares can usethe new office in CalleHuerta Nueva in the centre ofEstepona.

Frigiliana’scharm shallnot be brokenFrigiliana residents have voi-ced their concern over thenew constructions that threa-ten to spoil the pretty village

Costa del Sol NewsCompiled in cooperation with “Costa del Sol News”

BY DAVID EADE

The group (EAM) are con-cerned at the risks to theenvironment and of contami-nation from waste burned atthe plant between June 9 and11, which they fear couldaffect the Sierra Alpujata.

The ecological group claimsthat the construction of theMijas plant is not up to thevolume of work it is doing atpresent. They stress no provi-sion was made for the conti-nual burning, which could

result in an accumulation ofmethane gas, especially in thecurrent high temperatures. It

also fears an escape of conta-minants from the plant intothe Arroyo de los Toros.

Málaga-Nerga autovía opensThe final stretch of the autovía between Málaga and Nerja isready in time for the second of the summer’s busiest weekends

BY DAVE JAMIESON

Technical difficulties delayedthe missing section fromTorrox to Frigiliana by morethan a year. The section toMaro, opened last summer,diverted heavy through trafficaway from Nerja, but requi-red vehicles travelling east toleave the motorway for theold N-340 coast road atTorrox, rejoining it a few kilo-metres further on. The total cost of this final linkin the Autovía Oriental hasbeen 15,500 million pesetas,much of it as a result of theconstruction of a 1 kilometretunnel, which proved to bemuch more complex than ini-tial studies indicated. The Ministry of Development

has already given the go-aheadfor the construction of the nextsection of the autovía, eastfrom Maro to La Herradura, atan estimated cost of 21.6million pesetas. Further exten-sions will eventually link it tothe existing autovía at Adraand to the motorway beingbuilt south from Granada tothe coast at Motril.


Costa hangs up on TelefónicaOver 100,000 unsatisfied customers in the Valencia region have left telephone company Telefónica to switch to other suppliersin the past year.

Costa Blanca NewsCompiled in cooperation with “Costa Blanca News”

BY JAMES PARKES

Telefónica's Regional DirectorPedro Ortíz García this weekconfirmed the company's cus-tomer loss, warning that thefigure will increase in future asrival companies improve theirservices.Sr. Ortíz García put the custo-mer loss down to new freemarket regulations approvedby the Government and theincreasing number of alternati-ve suppliers. Cable companiesONO, Med Telecom andRetevisión were named asTelefónica's main competitors. However, consumer associa-tions have pointed toTelefónica's poor service as the

real reasons for customers swit-ching to other companies. Thecompany's policy to centraliseits customer services in majorcities has been most criticised. The majority of customers

leaving Telefónica are domes-tic users, a market that hasseen a break-out of fiercecompetition among suppliers.Telefónica remains the mainsupplier for commercial and

professional users with a mar-ket share of over 95 per cent -although its domestic sharehas dropped to 85 per cent. Telefónica has announcedimprovements to its services,focusing on digital techno-logy, to reverse customer loss.Around 17 billion pesetas willbe invested in a further95,000 kilometres of fibre-optic cables in the region -where Telefónica currentlyhas 1.3 million kilometres inplace. By the end of 2002, thecompany intends to connect amillion customers to ADSLhigh-bandwidth lines in Spain- 100,000 of them in theValencia Region.

Power cut penaltiesThe Costa Blanca yet again issuffering from power cuts lon-ger than the maximum perioddecreed in a law passed inDecember. Current legisla-tion guaranteeing the qualityof Spain's electricity supplysets penalties against sup-pliers if power cuts last morethan three minutes and totalmore than four hours a yearin urban areas. The law esta-blishes a scale of time limitsaccording to each area, rai-sing the limit to eight hours insemi-urban zones and 12hours in rural areas. Suppliers were given one

year to install a system toregister the amount and dura-tion of cuts. Consumers alsohave the right to install simi-lar systems to claim refunds.Central and regional govern-ments can now impose sanc-tions on suppliers by redu-cing tariffs if these limits arepassed. Torrevieja suffered its worstblackout this year with up tofive hours without electricityon Wednesday. Iberdrolahave sidestepped responsibi-lity by blaming damage tounderground cables duringcouncil roadworks.

Costa strikes goldAt a ceremony in Hotel El Montiboli in La Vila, senior executi-ves from Thomson Holidays presented the company's goldmedal awards to the Costa Blanca's top hotels. Awards werereceived by Hotels Nereo, Villa del Mar, Poseidon Playa,Ruidor, Calypso, Don Pancho, Torre Dorada, Avenida, Coronadel Mar, Monaco, Hesperia Sabinal and Los Dalmatas.

Elche shoes go up in somoke

Benidorm market doomed

Benidorm's controversialopen-air market near HotelPueblo has its days numbered-after the council approvedthe development of the area.The Town Hall awarded deve-lopers Ortiz e Hijos a contractworth 9,000 million pesetasfor the development of thePlan Parcial 1 zone, whichincludes La Huerta where thePueblo market is held. Pueblo market obtained itsopening licence thanks to a

judicial ruling on 'administra-tive silence' - granting permis-sion due to Benidorm TownHall's lack of response to mar-ket traders' applications. Despite the market beingpopular among tourists, theauthorities and the local esta-blishment owners' associationhave repeatedly claimed thesite was only temporary.Benidorm will continue to holdits alternative Wednesday mar-ket near the football ground.

A huge fire devastated fourshoe factories on Altabixindustrial estate in Elche. Thefire started in a factory situa-ted between Calles Mallorcaand Alcoy and quickly spreadto the other three throughinterconnecting roofs. Ninefire engines were despatched

to the scene to battle theblaze. All four sites were com-pletely destroyed althoughfire fighters were able to savea petrol station and other pro-perties. Three thousand squa-re metres of factory spacewere burnt and 70 factoryworkers are left jobless.


Germany's leading tour ope-rators have reduced traveloffers in the Balearics by 25per cent. The move comesamid fears of lower demandby holiday makers to visit theislands. Many German touroperators were left with ahigh percentage of unsold

holidays this summer. Themove includes a heavyreduction in both the numberof beds reserved and flightfrequencies to the islands.willalso be reduced two weeksago. The President of theMajorcan Hotel Federation,Pere Cañellas, admits that this

summer has been difficult tosell in Germany. Sales ofBalearic holidays in the UKhave slowed considerably. Ina move to stem the tide hotelowners have announced thatthis year price increases areexpected to be minimal, lessthan three per cent.

Thousands of rental carsparked throughout Mallorca

Mallorca News

Ironically on the same daythat Palma city council intro-duced new legislation ban-ning car hire companies fromparking un-rented cars in cityparking lots, car rental firmsreported that there are some8,000 hire cars parked upbecause of a lack of business. Vice-president of the Baleariccar hire association, AndreuArtigues, confirmed that thereare nearly 8,000 unrentedcars, which represents nearlya fifth of the area’s fleet of ren-tal cars. Artigues said thatbusiness is very slow this sum-mer despite the fact that manyrental car companies havelowered their rates to stimula-te demand. Artigues usedCala Ratjada as an examplepointing out that tourists canhire a car for three days forjust 8,500 pesetas.

Rental car companies claimthat one of the problems isthat the car hire industry isbeing given a hard time by theauthorities. they also com-plain of being blamed for cau-sing parking problems, trafficchaos, damaging the roadsand increasing the number ofaccidents. Artigues says thecar hire business is no longer

financially viable and that forthe past few years very fewhave made much money. Asthe years go by, more andmore independent rentalcompanies are being forced toclose. Right now there are 286members of the association,each with an average fleet of50 cars. Rental fees are at anaverage of 3'000 pesetas a day.

Rescue at seaA simulated emergency wasstaged in the bay of Palmawhich involved all units ofthe CRCS's rescue squad, aswell as the Red Cross, thePalma Maritime Authorityand the yacht club’s at Arenaland San Antonio de la Playa.A man over board operationinvolving a search and thenthe victim being pulled tosafety from the water andtaken by helicopter to a res-cue vessel, was part of theevent. The idea is to highlightthis summer's RecreationalVessel Accident PreventionCampaign. With the number of recreatio-nal craft registered in theBalearic waters growing everyyear the CRCS has had to res-pond to an increasing num-ber of emergency calls. Lastyear the CRCS responded toa total of 273 emergenciesinvolving recreational craft inBalearic waters and since thestart of this year, the totalnumber of emergencies hasalready passed the 100 mark. A special instruction leaflethas been published in 17 dif-ferent languages highlightingthe dangers and outlining pre-ventative measures which allrecreational sailors mustundertake. Last year the RedCross, which has its ownambulance, rescue launchand jet ski, attended over 400emergencies and accidents inthe Playa de Palma area aloneand assisted the CRCS is anumber of searches at sea.

German Tour operators reduceoffer to Balearic Islands

Put them up and tear them down


A Balearic court has ruled that four chalets built in Llucalcari will have to to be torn down due tothe fact that they were illegally constructed. The council has been given one month to begin demo-lition of the houses. Every ruling since the GOB environmental group started its campaign againstthe houses has ended in a demolition order. The homes were built by an Anglo - German com-pany, Bancals, owned by Axel Ball, a partner of British magnate Richard Branson. One of the cha-lets is reportedly used by Virgin company owned by Branson and another is owned by Spanishwriter Fernando Schwartz.


Costa Brava News

Half of all apartment lets oncosta are illegalGirona's Touristic Associationfor Apartments (ATA), brin-ging together owners andagencies dedicated to holidayapartment rentals, wants thelaw to come down stronger onillegal lettings of holiday apart-ments. The ATA estimates thathalf of all holiday apartmentsrented out are done so outsidethe law, illegally. In the lastfew years the regional govern-

ment, the Generalitat, hasclamped down on companiesrenting out holiday apart-ments with surprise inspec-tions. Holiday apartmentsaccount for 77 % of all thebeds available on the CostaBrava and according to ATA'spresident, Lluís Torrent, "If wewant a healthy tourist sectorthe apartment rental sectorhas to be regularised."

Platja D’Aro gives go-ahead fronew Aquatic-ParkAquadiver, Platja d'Aro's aqua-tic theme park, will be biggerand better as from next year.The park's owners will enlar-ge it by 30,000 m2 to 60,000m2, and the rides themselveswill be completely refurbis-hed. One of the most promi-sing is the 300-metre-longtoboggan flume ride, whichtakes users 45 seconds to getfrom top to bottom mounted

on rubber tyres. A conveyorbelt whisks clients back to thetop again to enjoy the ride.The park also plansto renew its picnic zone, KidsPark, sunbathing area and anew lake-like pool for bat-hing. Work should start thisSeptember coinciding withthe end of the season andopen in time for the summerin 2002.

Road to cut traffic jams in Costa Bravastill two years offDuring the weekend and holi-day times visitors have to runthe gauntlet of tremendoustraffic jams between the coas-tal towns near Platja d'Aroand the interior town ofVidreres on the way to the E-15 and A-19 motorways.

According to Martí Sabrià,manager of the Union ofAssociations of Hotels of theCosta Brava, "people rituallyreturn a day early from theirbreaks to avoid traffic jams,costing the industry thousandsof euros." Now thanks to a

new 36-million-euro projectapproved by the regionalgovernment, the Generalitat,the C-35 (just changed to C-249) between Llagostera andVidreres will get another lanein both directions. The pro-blem is the road won't be up-

and-running until 2003.According to Xavier Civit,managing director of Tourismat the Generalitat, "no matterhow many roads we build the-re'll still be traffic jams becau-se of the amount of peoplewho go to the Costa Brava."

Al GoreSpendsholidys inCosta BravaAl Gore, ex vice US presi-dent, and wife Tipper spenttheir summer vacations onthe Costa Brava, and incogni-to at that -Mr Gore grew alight beard to disguise himselffor the occasion. And whilethe Gores kept a very lowprofile for the majority oftheir two-week stay, they didventure out to sample thecooking of Santi Santamaria,chef at three-star Michelinrated Can Fabes restaurant inSant Celoni, a town betweenFigueres and Barcelona.Gore, who also visitedBarcelona back in March,said he had enjoyed his CostaBrava holidays thoroughly.

New web fortourism in theEmpordà

District councils across Baixand Alt Empordà have tea-med together to createAmpurdan.com, a new portalaimed at promoting the areaon the web. The website, avai-lable in English, has informa-tion on the different regions,maps of the area, relevantcompanies, tourist activitiesand practical information likeflats or boats for hire.

Hotels install gas generators tohedge against electricity cutsTwo years down the line andthe small town of Llagosteranear Platja d’Aro is still nego-tiating the construction ofhigh-tension electricity cableswhich have to pass throughthe town and on to the coast.The lack of accord has led towidespread Californian-styleelectricity cuts across theCosta Brava especially with

the increase in demand forelectricity during the summerperiod. According to the pre-sident of the Costa Bravahotel guild, Anna MariaGallat, “frustrated hotel andrestaurant operators are con-verting their power systemsover to run on gas to hedgeagainst the infuriating powercuts”.

A small piece of moderncommunications history is tobe saved and restored.Tenerife's first telegraph sta-tion stands in Los Silos, it wasbuilt in 1893 and representedthe last word in hi-tech inthose days, linking as it didTenerife with La Palma.Overlooking the beach knownas Agua Dulce, the station is ina deplorable condition and thecouncil wants work to beginwithout further delay.Mayor José Luis Méndezsaid: “The station is part ofour heritage. It became thefirst meeting point between

two Canary Islands when theunderwater cable was laid.”The Los Silos-La Palma tele-

graph cable was inauguratedin the same year as theTenerife to Spain cable.

Pure powerThe Canaries head European regions in renewable energy stakes.

Station restorationArona sleazeclamp-down

Canary Island NewsCompiled in cooperation with “Tenerife News”

The Canary Islands may lagbehind on many environ-mental matters, but onething’s for sure, the region isno slouch when it comes torenewable energy strategies. Poetry in motion: Arico´swind turbines.A report just out shows theregion is among the front run-ners for clean energy deve-lopment and implementationin Europe. And power self-sufficiency isn’t just a cleandream anymore with moreand more wind farms beco-ming an accepted part of thelandscape, while solar panelsare enjoying a big boom,prompted by their obligatoryinstallation in future housingprojects. Transport and energy secre-tary Loyola de Palacio said theCanary Islands have a brightfuture in the development ofrenewable energy given theiroptimum conditions of prevai-ling winds and plenty of suns-hine. Exploitation is beingadapted to the specific charac-teristics of each island. “If we don’t ever arrive at

total self-sufficiency in thisregion,” she said, “we are wellon our way to achieving thenext best thing, a very highlevel self-sufficiency.” Meanwhile, one island will beable to claim possessing atotally green energy supply, ifall goes according to plan. ElHierro, already marked outby UNESCO as a biospherereserve, is set to become apoint of world referencewhen its revolutionary rene-wable energy scheme beco-mes operative in the not toodistant future. A mixed system harnessingwind and water power willeventually supply all theenergy needs of the popula-tion. A 10 megawatt windfarm will pump water up to areservoir poised 600 metresabove sea level. From therethe water will free fall backdown to sea level via a spe-cially constructed channel,setting an electric turbine inmotion before being pumpeduphill again. The proposedscheme is due to be unveiledin September.

Heyerdahl honoured in GüímerOne of Tenerife’s most famous foreign residents, explorerand anthropologist Thor Heyerdahl, has received yet anotherdistinction.

This time it’s a very local one.The Norwegian octogenarianwas given the title of“Adopted son” by the Güímarcorporation, the district thathas been home for Heyerdahlfor the past ten years. TheGüímar title is just one of along string of awards withwhich Mr Heyerdahl hasbeen distinguished over theyears since he first leapt toworld fame after his amazingKon-Tiki adventure. Theaccount he wrote of thatvoyage still holds the worldsales record (after the Bible)and has been translated intosixty-seven languages.The man who is now so clo-sely involved with Güímarpyramids ethnological park,

has received honours fromthe heads of state of nume-rous nations, includingNorway, Italy, Peru, Egyptand Morocco.Queen Elizabeth decoratedhim with the prestigiousRoyal Geographical Society’sgold medal; he holds hono-rary doctorates from theUniversity of Oslo and theSoviet Scientific Academy. More recently his work in thefield of conservation wasrecognised by the UnitedNations when it bestowed itsinternational environmentalprize upon him.Thor Heyerdahl’s documen-taries have gained him anOscar and an Oscar nomina-tion.

Arona council has fined a company des-cribed as “specialising in prostitution”900,000 pesetas for infringing by-lawsgoverning publicity. The move, part of anew get-tough policy in the district, isintended to send out a message to localbusinesses that the council is seriousabout a municipal clean-up. A bar ownercaught selling alcoholic drinks after hourswas also hit where it hurts most andfined 250,000 pesetas, while a privateindividual the police found drinking on thestreet was given a 25,000 peseta fine.


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?Can my mother, aged 72, legallywork in my bookshop?I OPERATE A BOOKSHOP in a Costa delSol town, which I run as basically a one-man show. However, my mother, 72years old and a UK pensioner, oftenhelps me out when I have to take careof matters outside the shop.I have been told that anyone working inSpain must have a labour contract andmust pay Social Security, even if theyare pensioners, and that there are noexemptions even for family members.The fines for violating these labourrules run up to 500,000 pesetas, theysay, so I am worried.

M.Z. (Málaga)

IN PRINCIPLE, what you have beentold is true. The basic rule is that all wor-kers must have their Social Security paidand must have a contract. However, you are in luck, because thisrule was relaxed for immediate familymembers last year. Now the children, orparents, of the business owner can indeedhelp in the shop or business, as long asthey are not paid. There are so many ma-and-pa shops andsmall businesses in Spain, where the chil-dren help out after school, or where thegrandfather tends the cash register, thatthe authorities had to back off on strictenforcement.It remains true that any worker, includingyour mother, must have a labour contractand pay into Spanish Social Security ifshe is receiving a wage.Yes, fines run up to 500,000 pesetas forviolations, and hundreds of employerswho refuse to give contracts and whoemploy workers on the black market,with no insurance, are fined every yearfor this offence.

Can I avoid capital gains tax if I buya new home in Spain?I AM A RESIDENT in Spain and I havejust sold my home for 38 million pese-tas. I bought it for 22 million pesetasfour years ago. I have been told that, ifI buy a new principal residence in Spainfor 16 million pesetas, the amount ofmy profit, I will be exempt from capitalgains tax of 18 per cent. Is this true?

C.J. (Marbella)

UNFORTUNATELY, NO it isn't true. Ifyou are resident in Spain and have lived inyour home for three years, you can beexempt from Spanish capital gains tax onthe sale of the home only if you re-investthe entire sale price in a new Spanish resi-dence. It isn't just your profits, it's the enti-re sale price. Thus, you must use the entire38 million pesetas for your new home. Ifyou spend less, however, you will get a pro-portionate reduction in your capital gains.

Where can I buy David Searl's bookson Spanish law and property?I HAVE READ with interest your articlesin Prestige and should like to obtainmore information on taxation laws inSpain. I have been unable to obtain anybooks in the UK on the subject. Iunderstand you have published a bookon taxation through Santana Books andI would like to obtain any book on thisor company law. I shall soon be movingto Alicante. As a retired acountant, Ihave a keen interest in these matters.

E.A.P. (Kent)

AT THE EDITOR'S request, I shallunashamedly and blatantly promote mybooks and my book publisher, EdicionesSantana. In the UK "You and the Law inSpain" and "The Spanish PropertyGuide" can be obtained from major

booksellers, including Waterstones. Anybookshop at all can order the books fromthe central distributor by contactingAldington Books Ltd. Their telephone is:01233-720123 and fax is 01233-721272.Their email is: [email protected] If you are in Spain or if you prefer to dealdirectly with the publisher, you can ordermy books, and many other books aboutSpain, directly from [email protected] orvisit their website at www.santanabo-oks.com or telephone 34-952-485838 orfax to 34-952-485367.Bookstores in Spain which carry English-language books usually have them. Thebook department in Corte Ingles depart-ment stores is a good source for allSantana books. Both the law book andthe property book are general guides forthe layman, intended to steer the newSpanish resident or property buyerthrough the maze of Spanish law.If you are interested in the complexitiesof company law, I suggest that you waituntil you arrive in Spain and then contactthe commercial department of the BritishEmbassy in Madrid and one of the majoraccounting firms like Arthur Andersen inMadrid. There are texts available inEnglish on company law in Spain, butthey can go out of date quite rapidly, asregulations regarding amortization and ahundred other matters change frequently.

David Searl is author of the books, You and the Law in Spainand The Spanish Property Guide. He writes a monthly columnin Lookout Magazine on legal matters in Spain.

In forthcoming issues David will be happy to answer questionsrelated to Living is Spain. Please send any questions you mayhave to:

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